Going Home
by Deandra
Summary: Ill news from Dol Amroth sends Rohan’s royal family on a hurried flight to Gondor. ONESHOT. Part 155 of the Elfwine Chronicles.


**_Part 155 of the Elfwine Chronicles. The Elfwine Chronicles are a series of one-shots built around the family group of Eomer, Lothiriel and Elfwine. The total number will depend on how many ideas I get for new vignettes._**

**_A/N: I've known for some time that I wanted to address this subject, but only in the past few months did any ideas on how to approach it come to me. And, yes, this is one of the "unfinished tales" – I finally managed to finish one! Also, see Note to Readers at end of story. _**

**Going Home**

**(34 IV) **

"My lady?" The page stood looking expectantly at Lothiriel as she turned to acknowledge him.

Giving the boy a warm smile, she asked, "Yes?"

He held a letter. "The packet from Dol Amroth arrived and there was a letter for you in it. Eomer King asked that I find you and give it to you at once."

"Thank you, my dear," she answered, eagerly receiving the epistle. She always enjoyed news from her homeland.

Humming slightly as the boy turned away, Lothiriel broke the seal and began to read without bothering to sit first. As the contents began to penetrate, however, she slowly sank down on a nearby bench, her eyes wide with alarm. Her breathing grew shallow, and for several moments she was unable to do more than stare blankly at the page, as though expecting the words to alter and provide better news.

Gamling had entered the hall and only glanced briefly at the queen, but upon glimpsing her stricken countenance, he hurried toward her.

"Lothiriel? Are you unwell?" He rarely spoke to her in such an informal manner, though he knew she would not object, given their long friendship and the marital ties between their families, but he found it easier to maintain the proper decorum lest he slip at an inappropriate moment.

"Please…please take me to my husband, Gamling," Lothiriel answered, pale as a ghost and her voice unsteady. She rose shakily to her feet, and in another departure from the norm, he quickly slid an arm about her waist for support, seeing that she seemed likely to stumble. She clutched absentmindedly at his other arm, grateful for the assistance though not fully aware of it, as Gamling gently steered her.

They made their way slowly down the hall to Eomer's study, and Gamling did not bother with knocking before lifting the latch and ushering her inside. Eomer looked up in surprise at the interruption, but rose immediately as he laid eyes on his wife and discerned her distress.

"Thiri? What is the matter, beloved?" He hurried forward and took possession of her from Gamling. Perhaps sensing he might be needed, the Doorward remained but stepped back out of the way to allow the couple a private conversation.

Without speaking, Lothiriel handed Amrothos' letter to her husband as she settled on the sofa, her eyes wide and unseeing. After quickly reading through it, Eomer glanced at Gamling. "Send for my family members at once, and have Eothain join us. I will want you here also, Gamling."

The Doorward nodded and hastily exited the room as Eomer dropped down beside his wife, wrapping her in his arms and pressing a kiss to her head. He could think of no words to comfort her at such a moment as this, so he merely held her close in his embrace.

Elfwine was the first to arrive, charging into the room looking slightly frantic. "What is happening?" he demanded. "Gamling said Mother had received some ill news from Dol Amroth."

Eomer nodded. "Be seated. I would rather tell you all at once than each individually." Instead, Elfwine began to pace the room, throwing concerned looks at his mother.

The rest of the family slowly trickled in, along with Eothain and Gamling, and Eomer sighed before advising them, "Word has come from Amrothos that Imrahil is quite ill, and not expected to survive much longer. We must get to Dol Amroth as quickly as possible. Eothain, I want you and Elfwine to ride on ahead and take Lothiriel with you. She should be there as soon as possible, hopefully before he is gone. I will follow with the rest of the family. I would assume that Dariel and Theodwyn will remain behind since they both have very young children. I will name Gamling as my Underking during my absence, but he can counsel with Dariel and Theodwyn if he has any concerns about a given decision. The rest of the family will travel to the South with as much haste as we can. Possibly Arawine will want to come along, as he is old enough. The younger children – Cirion and Gerisen – should probably remain with their mothers."

Everyone nodded their understanding and agreement, though Gamling looked startled at the king choosing him as Underking, and Morwen began to weep. Theomund put an arm around his sister, and said, "I will help Eothain get what is needed so they may depart first thing tomorrow. Then I will work with Kialmar in preparing the rest of the party to travel. Who will you have be in charge here for defending Edoras?"

"That is up to Eothain to decide," Eomer avowed.

"Freawine is up to it, if you do not wish him to accompany you," Eothain observed.

"He does not know Imrahil well, and since Theodwyn will remain, probably he will want to do likewise," Eomer responded. Then glancing over his children he instructed, "Get a few things packed. Likely we will be gone at least a week, possibly longer."

xxxxx

Though she was unused to riding for such an extended period, Eothain and Elfwine quickly learned that Lothiriel would not be dissuaded from hurrying along as speedily as possible. They were barely able to convince her to stop for rest breaks, and only in assuring her the horses needed it were they successful in their efforts. Elfwine worried that his mother was pressing too hard, but he understood her desperation to reach Dol Amroth in time to bid her father farewell. He would just have to trust she was up to the exertion.

Thanks to dedicated and efficient efforts on the part of the household staff and the riders, the remainder of the royal family departed only a day behind Lothiriel, though it was necessary to move somewhat slower with such a large party. The entire group was subdued and conversation was minimal; even the twins were quieter than normal and did not require their usual close supervision. They had spent quite a bit of time in Dol Amroth with the relatives there, and felt quite close to Imrahil.

Their first night gathered around the fire, little was said. At length, Morwen asked softly, "Will Grandfather die, then?"

"Yes," Eomer acknowledged, "I believe so. He has lived a very long life and Amrothos' letter did not indicate there was much hope for a recovery."

Morwen's tears began again; she had always been particularly fond of the relatives in Dol Amroth. Again Theomund put a compassionate arm around her, but remained silent. The twins glanced at each other, but said nothing. They had had little experience with death in their young lives, and they were not sure quite how to deal with the news of Imrahil's pending demise.

Most everyone seemed to automatically agree to turn in early so that they might get an early start the next morning. As the twins lay on their bedrolls in the darkness, Arawine finally ventured, "What happens when people die?

"I do not know," Theodred admitted. "I have heard of the Halls of Mandos, but I cannot imagine such a thing. And no one seems to know the fate of someone beyond that place. Elves may return, but men? Such is not known to be."

"Would you be afraid to die?" Arawine questioned. "I think I might be."

Theodred considered this, then honestly told his nephew, "I do not think so. It does not seem a frightening thing, unless of course it was painful. But I think…I think I might not want to die if I had not yet done all that I desired in my life. That would bother me."

Arawine considered this, then nodded though the other boy could not see the gesture in the darkness. "Yes, that seems reasonable. Still, I am not eager to have Great-Grandfather die. It seems impossible that we might go to Dol Amroth and he would not be there. I suppose it is selfish of the living, but even if a man is ready to die, I am not sure others are ready for it to happen to someone about whom they care deeply."

Theodred swallowed hard, trying to choke down the lump that had settled in his throat. Hoarsely he remarked, "It will be difficult for Mother. I hope we get there before it happens so that Father will be with her. And so we may tell Grandfather goodbye."

"Aye," Arawine murmured softly.

Theomund, who was sharing the tent with the boys, had entered without their notice, but now spoke quietly. "Get some sleep, twins. We leave early."

xx

Despite the larger camp, Eomer's group arrived less than two days behind Lothiriel's. The Dol Amroth guards had been alerted that they would soon turn up and stood ready to take their horses, allowing the royal contingent to go directly inside. Servants quickly showed them to Imrahil's chambers, where Lothiriel and Elfwine stood vigil.

As they arrived, Eomer's eyes questioningly met those of his eldest son, and he was relieved by the slight shake of the head that indicated Imrahil yet lived. Collecting the family, Elfwine kept them in the hall and told of the situation while Eomer approached his wife. She was seated by Imrahil's bed, holding and stroking one of his hands, but her eyes did not seem focused on the failing shell before her.

"Thiri? Are you well?" Eomer asked quietly, laying a hand on her shoulder.

It took several moments for her to register his presence and draw her attention to the here and now. "Eomer? I am pleased you made it so quickly. He was hoping to see you before he –" Her words choked off and he bent to wrap his arms around her, pressing his lips to her head.

"Shhhh. It is all right, beloved. Hard though it is, he would not have you distraught at his passing. He has had a long and full life. We have been blessed to share that time with him."

Whether awakened by the conversation or something else, Imrahil's eyes slowly blinked open and he gradually turned to eye the couple beside him.

"Eomer? You have come, my friend – my son." With his free hand, he reached for Eomer, who quickly seized it.

"I am here." With a small grin, he teased, "This is a miserable way to ensure we visit you!"

Imrahil chuckled. "What else was I to do, when Lothiriel has become so blissfully happy ensconced in the Riddermark. It takes a great deal to lure her back to Dol Amroth any more." He broke into a fit of coughing, that took his breath for several minutes. When it finally subsided, he lay weakly back against his pillows.

"Eomer, there is something I would say before it is too late." His eyes moved to fix on Eomer's and hold his gaze. "Thank you. Thank you for loving her and caring for her as you do," he croaked, then had to pause to gather more breath. "I know it does not require my gratitude, but I wanted you to know how pleased I was that she found the same happiness in marriage that I shared with her mother."

Coughing interrupted him again, and they waited patiently for it to subside, and then Lothiriel helped him take a few swallows of water. "Do not try to speak, Father. It is too taxing, and your words are unnecessary," she admonished.

"No, let me finish," he rasped. After a moment, he continued, "Even before the end of the War, I worried about what was to become of Lothiriel. Gondor would have had me marry her off for some profit to our country; only I seemed concerned that her marriage be more than a mere political alliance." For a moment, he became lost in his thoughts, and his eyes slipped closed. Just as they began to think he had fallen asleep once more, his eyes flickered back open and he pressed on, saying, "You two imps did not make it easy, with your sneaking around behind everyone's backs while falling in love, but I could not have hoped for a grander outcome."

All three chuckled slightly at his words, before Imrahil concluded what he wanted to express, "Continue to treasure her, though I am sure you will, and continue to treasure your wonderful family."

Eomer sniffed once, stifling the tears pricking at this throat and eyes. "How could I not, my dear friend? Much of value was exchanged between Rohan and Gondor after the War, but none benefited so greatly as did I. The Riddermark owes a tremendous debt to the generous Lord of Dol Amroth, for he gave us the greatest treasure imaginable."

Lothiriel was now weeping freely at the exchange between two of the men she loved most in life, touched by their sentiments. Before she could completely lose her composure, however, Imrahil spoke again, his voice almost too soft to catch his words. "I would see the children, before my time is gone."

Lothiriel nodded and rose, pressing a handkerchief to her damp face. Once Eomer had summoned the family members in, he and Lothiriel stepped into the hallway, where he pulled her into a tight embrace.

"I meant it, you know. You are the greatest gift I have ever been given, my love. I am sorry we were not able to get you home to Dol Amroth more often after our marriage. I know.…" Words failed him and he simply held her close.

For several minutes, Lothiriel wept against his chest, soaking his tunic. At length, she drew a quaking breath and murmured, "I do not regret my time with you, beloved. You need not apologize. It is the way of life for a woman to leave her home and go to be with her husband. You did the best you could in getting me back here as often as might be. Do not reproach yourself on that score."

"Mother?" Elfwine said softly from the doorway. "Come quickly. I think his time is short."

As his parents hurried inside, Elfwine moved quickly down the corridor to summon the rest of Imrahil's family also. Moments later, the room was filled with all of them gathered around the bed of the family patriarch. Smiling with pleasure at the sight of their beloved faces, Imrahil closed his eyes and drew a final breath.

THE END

5/12/07 – 8/6/07

**_A/N2: FYI: Amrothos sent the letter to Eomer rather than directly to Lothiriel, not wanting her to see it until Eomer was around to console her. As the messenger indicated it was urgent, he immediately sent a page in search of his wife to deliver the letter. She had not been in the main hall when the messenger arrived, but returned there before the page found her. _**

**_FYI: Halls of Mandos - It was to the Halls of Mandos that the spirits of Elves and Men were gathered to await their different fates, and so Mandos was given its common name of the Halls of Waiting. After a time, the near-immortal Elves could be re-embodied, and return from the Halls to their kin in Aman. Men had a different fate, a fate which, even among the Lords of Valinor, only Mandos and Manwë truly understood. (excerpt from The Encyclopedia of Arda on the internet at glyphweb) _**

27 IV Apr Freawine chosen for the King's Guard [Frealaf, Second to Eothain, retires and Kialmar replaces him

28 IV Jun Cirion born (s of Elfwine/Dariel)

30 IV Sep Gerisen born (s of Freawine/Theodwyn)

31 IV late Jul Selinnan born (d of Elfwine/Dariel)

**34 IV Arlof born (d of Freawine/Thw); Imrahil probably died, age 98 [E 63; L 55; Elf 33; Thw 26; **

**Theomund, 24; Morwen, 20; Theodred, 11 **

42 IV Apr Eothain turns 70, retires – replaced by Kialmar as head of King's Guard w/Freawine as Second

Elfwine – Arawine 11, Cirion 6, Selinnan 3; Theodwyn – Gerisen 4, Arlof born in 34 IV; Theomund & Morwen – unmarried

Theomund hadn't met Fele & Morwen hadn't met Caranhir; Gamling is still Doorward; Kialmar is 2nd to Eothain in King's Guard

Group 1: Eothain, Lothiriel, Elfwine

Group 2: Kialmar, Eomer, Theomund, Morwen, Theodred, Arawine

**_Note to Readers: Considering the iffy nature of ffn's posting alerts for stories, I am thinking of setting up a mailing list for my readers. If you would like me to add your email to the list, send me an email saying so (dalleyan at mindspring dotcom). If I post a story and do not receive a Story alert in my own email, I will assume no one else did and send one myself. I will not use this list for any other purpose, or share it with anyone else. It will only be used to alert you to the posting of my stories. _**

**_End note: It is best that you read the Elfwine Chronicles in the order they were written. The more of them that I wrote, the more likely I was to make reference to one of the previous ones and something that happened there. If you want to read them in order, go to the top of this page and click on my name (Deandra). That will take you to my profile page. Scroll down and you will find all the stories I have written. The Elfwine Chronicles are in order from bottom to top since ffn shows them in the order they were posted. A few were posted out of number order, but you can read them in posting order or number order since those few won't be affected in the story content. _**


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